The Kalamazoo River in West Michigan was once home to several manufacturers of carbonless copy paper.  They used PCB’s during the production process and dumped the waste products into the river.  The result is that there is now a Superfund site on the river with 350,000 pounds of PCB’s.

The federal government has been in the process of cleaning up the site.  Several western Michigan communities have opposed the dumping of the resulting dredge.  So, the most contaminated material is heading to Southeast Michigan.  It will be dumped in a Belleville landfill.

Here’s the Grand Rapids Press link:

http://www.mlive.com/grandrapids/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-36/1177741537214760.xml&coll=6

What I loved about this story is that it originally appeared on the front page of the Grand Rapids Press just above an article about how the Detroit Institute of Arts was loaning its landmark “The Thinker” sculpture to the Frederick Meijer Gardens for the summer.

So, we give West Michigan a beautiful work of art.  And West Michigan gives us heavily-contaminated PCB muck.  That sounds fair:)

I’m not much of a kayaker, but I saw a picture of something neat in Thursday’s Lansing State Journal.  Apparently, the city of Williamston - about 20 miles east of Lansing - had a dam that was breached.  It would have cost a good deal of money to replace the dam.  And the local leaders wanted to keep the impoundment that was behind the dam.

So, the solution was to build a 1,000 foot whitewater kayaking course on the Red Cedar River.  It kept the water levels behind the course high and was cheaper to build than a new dam.  And, of course, it added a neat set of rapids for local kayakers and whitewater lovers.  Kind of neat.

Check out the original plans:

http://homepage.mac.com/erikcarlson/web/williamston.html

I always love reading the newspapers as I travel around the state and nation.  You never know what you’ll find.

On Friday, I read about a proposed rail line that would run between Howell and Ann Arbor.  Planners hope to have it running by the Fall.  Here’s the article:

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007704270338

It is anybody’s guess about whether this will actually happen.  The proposed commuter line between Detroit and Ann Arbor has been delayed for at least a year.  And public transportation has a way of losing momentum in the Detroit area.

But what I found really interesting was this paragraph in the article: “Cicchella (Northfield Township Supervisor) said the plan is to create a transit authority that would be expandable in order to oversee the potential growth of the railroad south to Monroe and north to Traverse City and Petoskey.”

So, anyone know anything about this?

The Nature Conservancy has purchased a home and four acres near Tecumseh in Lenawee County.  It sits in the center of the Ives Road Fen Preserve - a 750 acre, globally rare fen habitat.  Read the article below for more details:

http://www.lenconnect.com/articles/2007/04/27/news/news04.txt

The E.S. George Reserve is a major research site for the University of Michigan.  It is 1500 acres in size and, apparently, contains a rich combination of flora and fauna.  I say “apparently” because the George Reserve is closed to public access.

Most people outside the research community become aware of this area because of its proximity to the Pinckney State Recreation Area.  In fact, the Potowatomi Trail - one of SE Michigan’s major trails complexes - passes right along the George fenceline.  On many occasions I have hiked along this fence wondering what was just beyond.

While my hiking boots are just raring to get inside, I understand that the researchers do some great work behind that fence.  The June 2002 issue of Discover Magazine had a report on turtle aging that was based on George research.  The scientists basically found that many local turtles have little to no limit on lifespan.  Most are killed by traumatic events.  Theoretically, some could live forever.  And, in fact, there are some numbered turtles in the preserve that have been tracked for as long as the George Reserve has been in existence - that’s 70+ years.

For those who want to peer behind the fences, the preserve is located along the northernmost loop of the Potowatomi Trail.  See the Pinckney Recreation Area map below:

http://tinyurl.com/2k2kww

Discover Magazine charges a fee for its archived articles, but there is a similar article about the George turtle experiments here:

http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?issueID=113&articleId=1440

Here’s the official U of M website for the E.S. George Reserve:

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/esgr/home

Here’s a research summary of the turtle studies:

http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/projects/MICHIGAN.HTM

 

Hikers are naturally drawn to terrain.  It’s fun to walk up and down hills.  And the best views come when there is a high point to look up to or down from.

And this is why I find Grand Ledge to be interesting.  It is home to “The Ledges.”  These are sandstone cliffs created by the flow of the Grand River.  These ledges might go unnoticed in more terrain-rich areas of the country, but in Michigan they are famous.

The Ledges have attracted people for generations.  Visitors will notice a large barn-like building near the start of the Ledges Trail.  This was home to a group of Spiritualists in the 1800s.  The building has since been turned into a playhouse for local performances.  The rocks themselves hold history as a generation of local residents have carved their initials into some of the rocks.

The Ledges are found in three Grand Ledge Parks.  A longer hike is possible by combining park trails with city sidewalks.  One route begins at Lincoln Brick Park on the north side of the Grand River.  This park was once home to a local brick manufacturer.  The old brick furnace still stands as a ruin within the park.  An old quarry area has turned into the town’s swimming beach and pond.  This area follows the Grand River and offers two or three miles of forested hiking over up and down terrain.

On the east side of the park, there is a small trail connection that cuts through private property and onto Tallman Road.  Follow city sidewalks through pleasant neighborhoods on Front Street.  Along the way, a hiker will pass Oak Park.  This is the location of Southern Michigan’s only natural rock climbing area.  It draws climbers from several hours away.

The hike eventually enters Downtown Grand Ledge.  It is an old town filled with small boutique shops, restaurants and an opera house.  I know that town hikes can be a little lame, but this one isn’t.  It enhances the walk.  A hiker needs to cut across the Grand River on Bridge Street.  Take the first street west from the end of the bridge.

The hiker will soon see Island Park, a neat little gathering spot for picnics, ducks and geese.  From here, the Ledges Trail follows the best examples of areas cliffs.  They are pretty neat.  A dramatic old railroad bridge offers an additional point of interest.  The trail heads right past the bridge footings.

Upstream a bit, there is a Grand River tributary that has cut a deep ravine through the cliffs.  It is worth a look.  Back on the main trail, a hiker will cut over the tributary on a neat footbridge.  Then, take the staircase that heads up to the Fitzgerald Park parking area.

Directly on the other side of the parking lot, past the Spiritualist barn, you will find a trailhead for Fitzgerald Park.  This trail system leads to a dramatic stream valley that has high river bluffs and several waterfalls.  It is worth a stop.  Hikers can also find wildflowers, a dam on the Grand River and what appears to be an old industrial dump site.

Grand Ledge is not completely natural.  Additional planning and cleanup efforts could make this a GREAT hiking area.  Still, there is enough here that is different from the surrounding countryside to make a trip to Grand Ledge well worth a stop for the Southeast Michigan hiker.

Here’s my rough map of the connecting walk between Fitzgerald and Lincoln Brick Parks:

http://maps.live.com/?v=2&cid=628A87FDBE3AF2A!210&encType=1

I visited Fitzgerald Park in 2003.  Here are my hike notes from that time:

http://extremesouthmichigan.blogspot.com/2007/04/fitzgerald-park-hike-notes.html

I visited Lincoln Brick Park in 2003.  Here are my hike notes from that time:

http://extremesouthmichigan.blogspot.com/2007/04/lincoln-brick-park-notes.html

Official Lincoln Brick Park Website (not helpful):

http://www.eatoncounty.org/ECParks/LincolnBrickPark.htm

Great Area Photos, from a guy named jowo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jowo/sets/1400755/

Fitzgerald Park Brochure, with good map:

http://www.eatoncounty.org/ECParks/Fitzgerald%20Park%20Brochure.pdf

Old Fitzgerald Park brochure:

http://tinyurl.com/22aga4

Fitzgerald Park Official Website:

http://www.eatoncounty.org/ECParks/FitzgeraldPark.htm

More Great Ledges Photo Pages:

http://www.wsharing.com/WSphotosColorD.htm

http://www.wsharing.com/WSphotosLedges.htm

http://www.wsharing.com/WSphotosLedgesPg2.htm

Grand Ledge Climbing Routes (Oak Park):

http://www.msu.edu/user/leemich5/ledges.html

 

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to walk for several miles on the Lansing River Trail in Downtown Lansing.  This is one of the oldest and longest urban trail systems in the state.  The trail follows the Grand and Red Cedar Rivers for about eight miles.

The scenery is a combination of urban and natural as the rivers pass through business-oriented neighborhoods and many of the city’s parks.  The trail’s surface itself is paved, so it is a great place to bike, run or roller blade.

Check out the following links for more information:

http://www.msu.edu/~paszkie1/RiverTrail/index.html

http://parks.cityoflansingmi.com/rivertrail_map.pdf

http://www.midmeac.org/reportfinalLansingRiverTrailUseandUsers.doc

Monroe’s Catholic community has lost a true friend.  Bishop Walter Schoenherr died this past Friday.  For many years he was the auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Detroit designated to serve parishes in Monroe and the Downriver Detroit area.

I was able to meet the man on many occasions at St. Michael’s and he was wonderful.  He came from that generation of priests who were active in the civil rights movement and the church reforms of Vatican II.  We will miss him.

Here’s the obituary:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070428/NEWS08/704280309/1010

 

I just got back to town after spending the last two days in Lansing as a delegate at the Michigan Education Association’s Spring Representative Assembly.  It’s mostly a pretty dry exercise in organization budgeting and strategy.

But this is an event that tends to draw the occasional state official.  This year, Governor Granholm stopped by.  I’ve probably seen her speak about a dozen times over the years, but she’d never been as animated as this time.

Granholm, and Michigan schools, find themselves in an interesting spot.  With the repeal of the Single Business Tax and the downturn in state sales tax revenue - the basis for much of Michigan’s school funding mechanism - the School Aid Fund has a shortfall.

As the state executive, Granholm has only, in her own words “tools of cutting.”  She has to balance the budget.  So, unless the state legislature finds a new funding mechanism, she will have to cut school funding by $125 per student on June 1.  Given the fact that schools end the first week or so of June, most of this money has already been spent.

May will be an interesting month.  Will the legislature find a way to compromise with the Governor?  Or will we see the possibility of dozens of schools in the state closing early this year to compensate for the shortfall?  It will be interesting to see.

J. Sterling Morton, the former Governor of Nebraska and the founder of Arbor Day spent his formative years in Monroe.  He lived on the same street as the current Monroe Middle School.  When he moved to Nebraska, he realized that there weren’t any trees on his property and few in the state.  His efforts resulted in the planting of many, many trees.

Check out this web site for more details:

http://www.arborday.org/arborday/history.cfm

BTW, that web site says Morton is from Detroit.  Someone’s got to get in touch with the National Arbor Day Foundation and let them know that he’s an expatriate from Monroe:)

BTW#2: I’ll be in Lansing for a conference for the next few days.  I may or may not be in internet contact.  So, have a great weekend and we’ll see you when we see you.